Special Education 

Dan Bridges

Daniel Bridges spent the first sixteen years of his career in education, teaching students who experienced a wide variety of multiple, severe, and profound disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorder. 

As a mentor teacher, Daniel supported teachers and staff members in utilizing positive support and behavioral interventions. Daniel also served as a support provider in California programs for teacher support and development, including the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program, California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers, and university credential programs for student teachers and interns.

Daniel has received training and is practiced in the principles and practices of Applied Behavior Analysis, Teaching and Education of Autistic and Communication-Handicapped Children (TEACCH), and Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research (STAR Autism Support), a nationally-recognized, research-based program for supporting students with autism in classrooms. 

Daniel is also practiced in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Facilitated Individualized Education Plan processes and procedures, and Person-Centered and Futures Planning for individuals with disabilities and their families. 

While Daniel is an advocate for students and teaching staff, he is also an advocate for parents and those who support their family members in becoming their most independent selves, enjoying high-quality lives.

Daniel received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from California State University, Sacramento and his Master of Education in Special Education, with an Advanced Specialization in the Education of Persons with Severe Disabilities from the University of San Diego. 

He possesses California education credentials in Multiple Subjects, Specialist: Severely Handicapped, and Administrative Services. After sixteen years of teaching, Daniel has served as an administrator since 2001, serving in several California counties and as Executive Director for a non-public school for children with autism in Sacramento for four-and-a-half years.

Daniel will be serving as a master educator for Autism and Special Education.

Doran Gresham

Doran Gresham has 15 years of experience as a special educator, grassroots worker, mentor, and school administrator. He taught special education at the elementary and high school levels in Montgomery County Public Schools and is an adjunct professor at George Washington University and Gratz College. Doran currently teaches graduate courses in the characteristics of emotional disturbance and universal design for learning.

Outside of the classroom, Doran has worked with the DC Teaching Fellows Program as the secondary special education project director and also served as the director of instruction for CaseNEX, a professional development firm. As a founding board member of Achievement Preparatory Academy Public Charter School, Doran currently chairs the academic performance and accountability committee and is a member of the governance committee.

100 Black Men of Greater Washington, DC honored Doran as the Elliott Hair Man of the Year in 2004 and he was a Mentoring Organization of the Year finalist for his work with Guerilla Arts Ink & 100 Black Men, Inc.

Doran completed his Ed.D in Special Education and Emotional Disturbance at George Washington University, where he focused his dissertation research on general educators' perceptions of the overrepresentation of elementary-aged black males in classrooms for students with emotional disturbance. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The University of Virginia and a Master of Education in Emotional Disturbance and Learning Disabilities, K-12 from The College of William & Mary.

Doran will be serving as a senior master educator for special education.

Pamela Hagans

For the past ten years, Pamela Hagans has taught special education in DCPS. She was selected to be a part of D.C. Teaching Fellows’ very first cohort. She earned a Master of Education in Special Education from George Washington University and has a K-12 certification. Pamela also earned a Juris Doctor from George Washington University National Law Center. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from Howard University.

In May 2011, Pamela was profiled on the DCPS website and in the Special Education Newsletter during Teacher Appreciation Week as one of the District’s dedicated educators. She was also honored as a highly effective teacher for the 2009-2010 school year and was nominated for the Rubenstein Award for Highly Effective Teaching for the 2010-2011 school year.

As a lead teacher at Anne Beers Elementary School, Pamela mentored both special education and general education teachers. As a proponent of the Schoolwide Applications Model (SAM) approach to teaching and learning, Pamela became a model for inclusive teaching. She was often used to demonstrate co-teaching, parallel teaching, and support teaching. She was also listed in the DCPS bank of helping teachers as a resource and exemplar for modeling a lesson for struggling and probationary teachers.

Pamela has counseled parents on how to be their child’s first and best advocate. She has provided articles, websites, and information on support groups and agency assistance. Pamela left a legal career to study special education in order to help her own son. She has helped countless other children along the way.

Pamela will be serving as a master educator for special education.

Angela Harvey-Bowen

Prior to joining the DCPS master educator team, Angela Harvey-Bowen spent seven years working with students with emotional challenges. Angela has experience working in school districts including Baltimore, MD, Rochester, NY, and Los Angeles, CA. As a lead special education teacher, Angela mentored teachers in both general and regular education classes, providing them with strategies that led to significant gains in student achievement and decreases in behavioral difficulties overall.

Most recently, Angela has been making a name for herself within the professional development community, merging her background in marketing and training with her passion of supporting teachers in their efforts to help advance their students in academic achievement.  She continues to design effective trainings and instructional resources for teachers of students with emotional challenges.   

Angela received her Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and music from the University of La Verne. Additionally, Angela also received a Master of Arts degree in Leadership and Teaching from the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore, MD.

Angela experienced great success in a career in marketing, prior to making the transition to education. As a career-changer to education, Angela completed the Baltimore City Teaching Residency to become a special education teacher.

Angela will be serving as a master educator for special education.

Crystal Patterson

Crystal began her career in education working with early childhood and elementary students with special needs in DCPS. Crystal then served special needs students from throughout the DC metropolitan area by conducting academic evaluations,  providing specialized instruction, and coordinating standardized test for middle and high school students attending a non-public day school located in Howard County. During this time, Crystal assisted youth with acquiring the proper academic requirements for high school graduation and aided youth with vocational or college preparatory skills. Several of her students continue to contact her today with success stories.

Crystal has spent the past 7 years in a leadership role as a Special Education Coordinator overseeing compliance, professional development, and student achievement while supervising a staff of 12 individuals for 5 campuses affiliated with a Washington DC Charter School.  During this time, Crystal spearheaded an initiative to increase compliance which reduced legal complaints by 70%. She developed behavior policies, programs, and trainings for student and staff in order to promote a positive school environment. While serving in this capacity, Crystal also developed trainings for parents of students with special needs.

Crystal earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Delaware State University, as well as a Master of Special Education degree from the George Washington University. She is a founding member of Washington Latin  Public Charter School located in Washington, DC and has assisted in writing charters for several area charter schools.

As a parent of a special needs child, Crystal is committed to making academic success available to every student in the District of Columbia.

Crystal will be serving as a master educator for special education.

Penny Smith

Penny Smith joined the master educator special education team in the summer of 2009 after 34 years as an educator in Rhode Island, Missouri, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Washington.

During her career, Penny spent 25 years as a special education teacher in a variety of settings and served as an elementary school principal for 9 years. Outside of the classroom, Penny served as chairperson of the Student Services Management Team, member of her school’s leadership team, and member of the professional development subcommittee for Durham (NC) Public Schools. She has also contributed her expertise as an instructor in the Danforth Principal Leadership Program at the University of Washington.

Penny received the Paul Harris Fellow Award in 2003 in recognition of her school’s efforts to teach students about service to others, and while serving as principal, led her school to make AYP each year.

Penny earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary and Special Education from Rhode Island College, a Master of Education in Reading from Boston College, and her principal certification from the University of Washington.

Penny is a life-long learner and values staying current on topics related to teaching and learning through membership in professional organizations such as Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Council for Exceptional Children, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. She is also an avid reader and collector of professional books and articles.

Penny will be serving as a master educator for special education.

Caryn White

Caryn White joins the DCPS team with vast experience in serving students with special needs, having taught special education in Birmingham, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee for more than 20 years. Caryn also taught early childhood special education courses at Vanderbilt University’s Susan Gray School and has engaged in specialized training related to serving students with autism and related communication disorders.

While working in Nashville, Caryn was recognized twice as Teacher of the Year at the Madison School and was chair of the special education department at Hillwood Comprehensive School.

Following her time in the classroom, Caryn worked as the director of education and dean of career training at the Lovelady Center, a rehabilitation center for ex-female offenders and their children. Her leadership experience and honors also include serving as a board member at Prevent Child Abuse, Tennessee; a distinguished partner at the Birmingham Literacy Council; and secondary school division chair at the Tennessee Theatre Association.

Caryn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Education in Special Education from Tennessee State University.

Caryn will be serving as a master educator for special education.